Police have detected close to 6,500 traffic offences during a major road safety blitz over the Labour Day long weekend in Victoria.
Operation Arid saw police targeting high-risk driving behaviour across the state over four days, in an effort to drive down road trauma.
Almost 45 per cent of all offences detected were speeding-related, with three quarters of those caught travelling between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.
One in every 473 motorists tested for alcohol were caught over the limit, with police detecting 250 drink driving offences from 118,427 preliminary breath tests.
A further 163 drivers returned a positive roadside drug test, with 3,669 roadside drug tests conducted.
Police caught 422 drivers who shouldn't be on the road because they were either unlicensed, disqualified or suspended from driving.
There were also 225 drivers caught using a mobile phone or device behind the wheel.
The total 6,442 offences detected during Operation Arid included:
- 2,896 speeding offences
- 422 disqualified/suspended and unlicenced drivers
- 380 disobey signs/signals
- 250 drink driving offences from 118,427 preliminary breath tests
- 225 mobile phone offences
- 163 drug driving offences from 3,669 roadside drug tests
- 88 seat belt offences
- 67 vehicle impounds; and
- 512 unregistered vehicles
There were four fatalities on Victorian roads during the four-day operational period, including a motorist in Lakes Entrance on Saturday morning, a vehicle occupant in Tongala on Saturday night, a motorist in Lovely Banks on Monday morning, and a motorcyclist in Wyndham Vale on Monday afternoon.
These fatalities bring the total lives lost on Victorian roads this year to 44, compared to 65 at the same time last year.
Police are reminding motorists they will continue to be out enforcing anywhere, anytime across the state's roads this month, with March considered the most dangerous period on Victorian roads.
Injury collisions in both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria have historically peaked during March, with more than 1,600 recorded in March 2025 - 23 of which were fatal.
Operation Arid ran from 12:01am on Friday 6 March until 11:59pm on Monday 9 March 2026.
Quotes attributable to Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, Glenn Weir:
"Disappointingly, a significant number of motorists were caught doing the wrong thing over the Labour Day long weekend.
"We issued thousands of infringement notices, predominately for speeding but we also saw a considerable amount of unauthorised drivers, impaired drivers, and drivers caught using mobile phones and devices.
"It is frustrating because the majority of drivers know they are doing the wrong thing, but choose to run the risk anyway - we need this behaviour to stop.
"People might complain about receiving a fine, but the reality is that receiving a penalty is completely avoidable if drivers obey the speed limits and road rules.
"If you blatantly choose to speed or break the rules on our roads, you will be caught - and police make no apologies for this.
"In such a high-risk month for road trauma historically, we are doing all we can to drive down trauma on our roads."
